Souvenir
by intrajanelle
Summary: The four times Wally forgot Valentine's Day and the one time he didn't.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: ...I know I know why am I writing another story when I have three others to finish? Well because of that last episode that's why. Yup I'm writing tons of fluff. I'm updating everything else soon I promise. For now here's a five-shot that I aim to finish by Friday... Ovp, if you're reading this, this is the reason I haven't been on the googledoc. Hehe._ I'm going right now_. Also the title is French. Look it up in google translate. It'll make more sense. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own YJ but I do own all of these spitfire feels and they want **out**._

* * *

_Souvenir _

_by Janelle_

Chapter 1:

They'd only been dating two months but it was Valentine's Day, which Artemis supposed meant something when you were a couple.

She knew Wally well enough by now to be certain he thrived on all sorts of cheesy, romantic nonsense. He would want to spend the entire day tossing red and pink confetti around the cave, eating heart-shaped chocolate and utilizing every corny pick up line in his register, even though they were already dating and his pick up lines were no longer required or welcome.

But being a teenage vigilante who was in the middle of mid-terms did make her pretty busy - and forgetful. So that's why after dragging herself home from a particularly grueling mission she'd glanced at the calendar on her desk, discovered that tomorrow was indeed Valentine's Day, and dragged herself to CVS at midnight; where she'd proceeded to attempt and decide which Hallmark card Wally would prefer.

She finally chose the one that wasn't splattered with dramatic red and pink hearts and proclamations of undying love. It was simple and white and said Happy Valentine's Day in bold red ink, it almost seemed like something you'd give to a parent or a friend but Artemis was certain Wally would understand. They'd only been dating two months after all. They weren't in love yet. She was certainly not reduced to puddle of mushy gunk when he lowered his green eyes on her and didn't say anything at all. She most definitely did not enjoy being held in his arms, close to his chest, and leaning her head against his skin in order to hear the quiet fluttering of his heart. And she was not, repeat: was not, by any means _in love_ with the idiot. They were dating, yes, and she liked him. But love…

"Maybe…" Artemis said aloud, before shaking her head and rubbing her hands over her eyes. She was still covered in dirt and sweat from their mission. All she wanted was a shower, not to question her feelings for the _Wall-man_. She'd done enough of that before they'd started dating. She grumbled something about 'stupid speedster boyfriends' and stomped over to the snack aisle.

There were dozens of candies to choose from, all in red heart-shaped boxes. Boxes that were undoubtedly filled with fudges and cherry chocolate and macaroons but as Artemis' eyes shifted over them she felt her heart slowly begin to deflate. She placed her shopping basket on the ground at her feet and crossed her arms. She'd thought she knew Wally better than this, but she didn't even know his favorite candy.

She glanced over the Valentine's display once more and found her eyes wandering to the end of the aisle.

It was late. She was tired. And Wally did like Oreos.

* * *

The next day at the cave Artemis sauntered to the kitchen, holding a plastic shopping bag behind her back as she peered around the corner. She sighed, entered and then immediately stiffened as she felt a rush of air ripple throughout the room. There was a sudden hand on her shoulder and a tickling of warm breath against the back of her neck.

"Hey babe, watcha got there," Wally asked, reaching for the bag.

Artemis twirled and Wally's hand leapt from her shoulder. He stared down at her, his green eyes wide in confusion as she glared at the ground.

"Artemis? Is everything-"

"Here," she said, shoving the bag toward him, "I got you a Valentine's present…or whatever."

There was a brief moment of silence in which Artemis was frightened that Wally hadn't heard her, she didn't want to have to say it again, but when she looked up at him he was simply staring down at the bag in her hands in disbelief as if he wasn't quite sure if it really existed. His eyes slid up to hers.

"Valentine's?" he said in confusion.

"Yes. A little slow on the uptake there Wally," Artemis scoffed, "Aren't you supposed to be Kid _Flash_."

"But…today's not Valentine's Day," Wally said decidedly, shaking his head, "I bought _chocolate_."

"What?"

"I bought you chocolate and a card and- Oh my god it's not Valentine's Day is it?" he groaned, pushing a hand through his hair, "I completely forgot. I made reservations and- and-"

"Wally, what are you talking about?" Artemis asked, shoving the plastic bag into his arms after deciding she was tired of holding it.

"_This was supposed to be special_," he said fingering the bag in his hands as he plopped down at a bar stool, "that mission last night, and school and everything, completely threw me off schedule. _I forgot_."

Artemis laughed.

"What's so funny?" Wally pouted.

"Just open the bag, moron," she said, sitting beside him.

He didn't have to be told twice. Instead of opening it, however, he merely dumped the entire bag upside down so that the contents spilled across the countertop.

He stared for a few moments - in which Artemis had to scold her quivering heart and tell it that it should not by any means _stop_ _beating_ just because Wally wasn't satisfied with his Valentine's Day present. If he didn't that was his loss.

"Oreos?" Wally said, a sudden smile stretching across his face, "Oreos and Twizzlers and _Goldfish_? Babe, you rock."

Artemis tried not to smile as he leaned over and placed a sloppy kiss on her cheek. She stifled her contentment as he tore open the bag of Double Stuf Oreos and began to gracelessly shove them into his open mouth. She simply rolled her eyes as he said things like: "wonderful" and "the best girl" and "taking you to dinner tonight".

But somewhere deep within her calloused heart she felt relieved that Wally had forgotten Valentine's Day, relieved that he'd been satisfied with a card and a package of Oreos, relieved that she could sit here with him, alone and wordlessly – the only noise interrupting the silence, Wally's loud chewing – and just be comfortable.

She began to think that maybe – _maybe_ - she could grow to love this boy after all.

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_Please review :3_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: This has been sitting in my doc manager so long that I figured I'd upload it. I've had some pretty bad news the past couple days and I'm not sure when I'll be able to update again but I hope you enjoy this chapter. Keep in mind that they've been dating for a year now and they're more comfortable with each other yada yada yada. Also, thanks for all the kind reviews! I will be writing a chapter for every year Wally's forgotten Valentine's Day and one for the year he didn't. I hope you enjoy it._

_Disclaimer: Still don't own Young Justice unfortunately._

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Chapter 2:

Wally West had spent more time preparing for Valentine's Day than he had for his SATs. Of course, given his ample intelligence, preparing for his SATs hadn't exactly been necessary but it was the gesture that counted.

Back at the cave, carefully hidden underneath his mattress, was a box of fine chocolates, a bouquet of tiger lilies (Artemis' favorites) and a silver arrow pendant on a long chain that he and Dick had spent hours scouring for at the Central City Mall. He was determined to make tomorrow as special for Artemis as possible. He'd even made reservations at a nice restaurant over a month ago, and though he was positive she would be satisfied with something as humble as dinner at the cave he wanted to make up for the disaster that was their first Valentine's Day together, by making their second one as glorified as possible.

So that's why less than an hour away from the appointed day Wally proceeded to cheekily remind Artemis that he had, by no means, forgotten this year.

"Hey, you know what tomorrow is right, babe?" he said as he pulled on a strand of hair that had escaped her ponytail.

She rolled her eyes. When he reached out to pinch her she swatted him and affixed her gaze on their team members. The others were picking their way across the warehouse floor, surveying for any possible leads as to its former occupants whereabouts. Wally and Artemis were perched on the catwalk, acting as lookout.

"Do I have to remind you that we're on a mission Kid?" Artemis said, refusing to so much as glance at him, even when he wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled his chin into the crook of her neck.

"Awww, c'mon Arty, just say it. I know you know," he prompted.

"_Wally_," Artemis groaned, attempting to shove him away, "stop. I know you're only acting more moronic than usual because of your absurd amount of excitement for this ridiculous holiday but we're on a mission. Get. _Off_."

Wally obliged, only pulling away, though, after he had run a hand down her arm causing a trail of Goosebumps to rise along her bare skin.

Artemis shivered and peered at him though lidded eyes, "Wall-" she began to whisper before her eyes flew open. She slammed her hands against his chest, pushing him to the other side of the catwalk as she yelled, "LOOK OUT!"

Wally watched in horror as a crowbar swung out of the shadows, aimed at her stomach. Artemis held up her bow to deflect it but whoever was wielding the crowbar saw her lower her weapon in favor of protecting the lower half of her anatomy and redirected his blow for her head. Artemis, whose reflexes normally would have prepared her for this, was still off-guard and didn't react as fast as she should have. The crowbar collided with her temple and sent her limp form tumbling from her perch, the last thing Wally saw was her ponytail trailing after her like the tail of a kite in the wind.

"Artemis!" Wally shouted, elbowing the idiot with the crowbar hard enough to send the man to his knees, before he pitched himself forward, prepared to jump after her.

"_I have her Wally_," M'gann called through their mind link, and Wally gripped the edge of the catwalk, barely stopping his body from careening into the air. He looked down to see Artemis' form hovering inches from the warehouse floor, suspended only by M'gann's telekinesis. "_She's fine_."

Wally nodded solemnly and then turned back to the lackey on the catwalk that was still trying to catch his breath. Wally was pretty sure the guy was dressed in all black, typical villain garb, but all he could see was red, "_Yeah? Well he's not gonna be_."

"_Kid, apprehend the suspect and bring him down to us_," Kaldur ordered, "_he is not to be harmed_."

"_Kal, this guy hit Artemis in the head with a crowbar. Do you seriously expect me to_-"

"_Kid Flash, I expect you to do your job. We are all worried about Artemis_," Kaldur said, his voice wavering and Wally could just barely make out the frantic thoughts of his teammates stretching across the link.

Somewhere deep in the back of his subconscious he could see Dick's thoughts. They streamed through his head like pictures, images, first of Artemis falling through the stagnant air and then of two circus performers, dressed in white and red leotards, falling and falling; but there was no M'gann to save them. Wally shook his head.

"Fine," Wally said aloud, narrowing his eyes at the lackey in front of him, "but let's hurry. Artemis needs medical attention."

* * *

It would be an understatement to say that Wally was worried. For the next twenty one hours that Artemis was in the medical bay, slipping in an out of a coma, Wally was bordering hysterical.

When he wasn't sitting at her bedside he was pacing hazily, at speeds that eventually formed a trench around her cot.

Twice M'gann had to bring him food from the kitchen, because he refused to leave the room even at the bribery of cookies, but he never ate. When he did catch himself eating it was impulsive, a nervous routine of picking up whatever was closest to him and shoving it into his mouth. The three or four times he caught himself doing this he simply stared down at whatever he had been consuming, his gaze flicking from the food to Artemis' pale face before he tossed the food to the side and picked up one of her hands with both of his own.

As the hours went by Wally watched dozens of people come and go. The rest of the team never left but they all chose to give Wally his space by ambling in the hall outside the med bay. Green Arrow came only once. He pushed his hood back from his face and bowed his head as he watched his protégé's shallow breathing, he left shortly after on call from the League for an important mission that Wally had already forgotten the details of. Batman, Black Canary and Red Tornado were frequent visitors, often coming in and adjusting all of the medical equipment before patting Wally on the shoulder, or in RT's case nodding stiffly, and leaving just as abruptly as they'd arrived.

At six in the morning Black Canary came in and asked if he was leaving for school, Wally simply stared at her, his hands still encasing Artemis', and the woman had nodded in acknowledgment before leaving them alone.

Wally watched Artemis' visage turn a sickly gray. He watched the skin surrounding her eyes slowly bruise until she appeared to be wearing a purple domino mask. He watched her eyelids spasm as if she were having nightmares and on one occasion he watched her jerk forward, her nose crinkled in pain before going limp again.

He wasn't watching when she woke up. He'd fallen asleep, his head resting on her cot, the rest of him still seated in the chair by her side, when he felt a sharp pinch on his hand.

Forever the light sleeper Wally looked up and found Artemis frowning at him. She had propped herself up and was busy rearranging her hair into a tight knot. The bruise under her eyes made her gaze seem even more tempestuous, if that was possible. For a moment he was too shocked to speak, believing that he was still dreaming but when Artemis finished tying her ponytail and flicked it in his direction sending a fistful of blonde hair into his open mouth he knew this was real.

He spat out the hair and stuttered, "Are you-"

"What happened?" she demanded hoarsely, not patient enough to wait for him to stumble through his question.

"You-" Wally choked, still trying to process that she was awake, "You got hit in the head."

"No shit, Wally," Artemis said, rubbing a finger over her right temple, "I meant with the mission. Did you get that asshole with the crowbar?"

"Yeah," Wally said, not surprised that she was less concerned with her own well-being than the objective, "turned him over for questioning. He was the only one there."

"Dammit," Artemis sighed, fiddling with the IV attached to her arm, "I let my guard down. Nice going Kid Smut."

"Artemis- don't," Wally said, placing a hand over hers as she tried to unhook her IV drip, "you've been unconscious for almost a whole day. Don't mess with the equipment."

"Have I- was I in a coma _again_?" Artemis groaned, placing a hand on head before hissing sharply and removing it. Wally winced at _again_, not wishing to remember the last time this had happened, and grabbed her hand before she could start poking the bruises under her eyes. Her skin was flushed, thankfully, no longer ashen and she seemed fine besides the obvious bruises and tired drooping of her eyelids.

"Yeah, and need I remind you that you were hit in the head?" Wally said, gesturing to the bandage that was tightly wrapped around her cranium. "Stop moving around so much."

"Sorry," Artemis said, looking away from him, and for a moment Wally thought she meant for getting hurt, "I'm sorry I ruined your _big day_."

Wally tilted his head, "What big day?"

Artemis' head whipped to look at him and a smile slowly crept up her face. Wally felt relief unfurl inside his chest at the sight of her smile. For a short anxious minute he had been worried that he'd never see her smile again, even though he knew her injuries weren't that serious. But she was fine, and Wally was a little shocked by how much he'd relied on her smile to let him know everything would be okay.

"You mean you forgot _again_," Artemis said deviously, interrupting his thoughts, "well then that's 2 – 0 Wall-man."

"What? What did I-" Wally began to demand but he was silenced by Artemis leaning forward and pressing her lips to his once and then twice. As she pulled away, she twisted her hands in his hair and whispered ever so sweetly, "Happy Valentine's Day Wally."

"Happy-" Wally blanched, his eyes flying open. He pulled away from her, taking in her satisfied smirk as he groaned, "No~ Not _again_. This is all _your_ fault."

"Sure, Wally," Artemis said, and he yelped as she pulled him closer. Wally stared as she pulled him in; just before their lips met she laughed and whispered, "sure."

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_Please Review :3_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: The idea for Tula's death being the spark for all of this is from onceuponaspitfire on tumblr. All cred goes to her. I just wrote this._

_Disclaimer: Still claiming no ownership over YJ._

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Chapter 3:

Artemis watches the scene unfold in slow motion.

Superboy is holding Mammoth back, his muscles taut and his mind elsewhere. A goon comes up behind him. It's just a random lackey but he's holding a knife. For a second Artemis sees the dim green glow that laces the blade. Her eyes widen and she wonders how they knew to use kryptonite.

"Conner!" M'gann screams, held at a psychic distance by a very distraught telepath. M'gann's powers are strong, if she only had a few more seconds she could have broken the other girls hold on her mind and driven the kryptonite away from Conner - as it is she's already putting up a fight and the other girl is flailing for control, screaming and cursing - but she doesn't have a few more seconds.

The goon raises the knife and it swoops downward, plunging toward Conner's unprotected back.

Wally screams, his arms tightening around Artemis' middle. For a beat Artemis had forgotten that she was hurt herself. She had forgotten that Wally was cradling her in his arms, as her hands pressed against the bullet wound.

Somewhere behind them Dick is preoccupied and Kaldur is barking orders and the new members of the team are running in circles trying to figure out what to do with themselves. Artemis feels terrible because Beast Boy shouldn't be there, but he is and he's cowering beside M'gann as she deals with the telepath. And there's Garth holding his own beside Kaldur, his dark hair shining wet in the dim warehouse lighting and Artemis fumbles, her eyes searching the room for Tula because out of all of them, except maybe Beast Boy, she's had the least experience on a mission.

But Artemis doesn't see Tula until it's too late. She doesn't see the girl until she's diving between Conner and the kryptonite, doesn't hear herself screaming until Tula is falling to the ground and Conner is spinning to knock the goon with the knife to the other side of the room, doesn't truly understand what is happening until both Garth and Kaldur are dropping to their knees at her side, and she certainly doesn't accept that Tula is gone until Kaldur has dropped her limp hand into a widening puddle of blood.

"Artemis," Wally says, but his voice is faint. Artemis isn't sure he's really talking until he's shaking her and screaming her name over and over, "Artemis, Artemis, Artemis!"

She turns and looks up at him and tears are dotting his eyelashes. She feels incredibly heavy as if instead of losing blood she is gaining it and it's filling her up all the way from her head to her toes, weighing her down.

Her eyes slip shut and the last thing she hears is a dim chorus of Artemis, Tula, Artemis, Tula, fading into nothing.

* * *

Artemis is fine.

Wally doesn't set her down the entire trip to the cave. He holds her close to him, nuzzling his chin in her hair as they set down at Mount Justice.

He runs to the med bay, laying her body on an empty cot. He doesn't look away from her face for the longest time. Not when they rush Tula in after him to try _something_, anything. Not when Kaldur chokes down a sob and starts wailing, cursing things in a foreign tongue, and smacking his fists weakly against Superboy's shoulders as the Kryptonian attempts to comfort him. Not when they finally set a sheet over Tula lifeless features and roll her out of the room.

Wally remains seated beside Artemis' cot, his back turned on his teammates until Artemis stirs, fumbling for his hand.

"Tula…" Artemis whispers, blinking the glaze from her eyes as she looks over at Wally.

Wally shakes his head.

Artemis chokes, her breath hitching in her throat as she pushes herself into a sitting position. Wally pushes her back down, gently, his fingers shaking where they touch her shoulders.

"Wally?" Artemis says her voice hoarse as she blinks up at him.

"You could've died," Wally says avoiding her eyes. "It could have been you and not… It could have been you."

"Wally cut the crap," Artemis says, shoving his hands away from her and sliding her feet over the side of the bed. She winces as she clutches the bandages wrapped carefully around her waist. "I want to see Kaldur."

"No you need to-"

"This isn't the time to be selfish," Artemis snaps, pushing her hair out of her face, "are you going to help me walk or am I supposed to stumble down the corridor on my lonesome?"

Wally sighs and watches her for a moment. She's not glaring like she would normally be, instead her eyes are tight, narrowed but not in anger. He can just see the tears rimming her eyelashes if he looks closely enough.

Before she can demand he help her walk again he places a chaste kiss on her forehead and scoops her into his arms. She wraps her arms around his neck and turns her head into the crook of his neck, it is a position that they're accustomed to. Their bodies are used to it and it's as if they were made to be this way. Her in his arms, her fingers tickling the base of his neck, his cheek pressing against her ponytail, they fit, like puzzle pieces. Wally can't even imagine what it would be like holding another girl anymore. He's not sure if he ever wants to.

"We're going to talk about this," Wally says, rubbing his thumb along the edge of her bandage as he starts walking down the hall.

"I know," Artemis says, and he almost thinks she says something else but whatever it was its lost as he breaks the sound barrier.

* * *

The day of Tula's funeral Artemis and Wally stand on the beach outside of Mount Justice.

Dick and Zatanna are there as well, sitting on a rock by the cave entrance whispering nothings. M'gann, Conner and Beast boy have gone to Atlantis with Kaldur and Garth for the Atlantean burial. Naturally, being only human, the four left on the beach had not been able to attend.

Artemis pulls the pins from her hair, letting the loose bun she'd made earlier cascade down her back. She hikes up her black skirt and slumps on to the sand, Wally following her lead. She leans into him and he loops an arm around her. They watch the ocean in silence, the only sound the lapping of the waves against the beach and the soft sea breeze that lulls both of them.

"I've been thinking," Wally says, twisting a strand of Artemis' hair around his index finger.

"That's new," Artemis says with a soft smile, "should I be afraid?"

"Aw, come on, just listen," Wally whines, pushing her off his shoulder in order to look her in the eye. "I say we quit."

"Quit what?"

"This. This whole 'superhero' thing," Wally says gesticulating toward the cave.

Artemis' eyes widen, she brushes Wally's hand from her arm as she glances between Mount Justice and her boyfriend, "You're serious? But I thought you loved being a superhero."

"I love you more," Wally says, his hand grasping her wrist.

"Oh _come on_ Wally, that was just plain cheesy," Artemis teases, "not your best line."

"Artemis just listen for a second okay?" he says, his voice cracking on the last syllable and she stares at him because his voice hasn't cracked in the longest time and all the sudden she's reminded of the scrawny redhead from three years ago who'd demanded to know who she was.

"I'm listening."

"You almost died the other day. If it had been the other way around and it had been you instead of Tula… I don't know what I would do. I literally cannot imagine how I would have dealt with that situation. And it still could be you. You could still die because y'know- we haven't exactly been on our best game lately," Wally says and when Artemis opens her mouth to protest Wally only shushes her. "Don't try and deny it. We've both been busy applying for college and god knows Jade and Roy have been have been stressing us out more than usual and we're trying to imagine a future while simultaneously dealing with things in the present. Sooner or later something's gotta give."

Artemis gives Wally a withering look, "So we quit? What then Wally? Will you really be happy never being Kid Flash again?"

"I never said that," Wally says shaking his head, "I said we quit for now not for good. After college, after the…_wedding_," Wally shivers as he imagines Jade and Roy in holy matrimony; talk about _stress_, "then we can kick supervillain butt."

Artemis crosses her arms as she considers this. She'd always wanted to go to college, as much as she'd protested attending Gotham Academy that was simply because it was high school, college was a whole different scenario. It seemed fun and fulfilling and something a normal teenager would do. She'd always wanted normal.

"And don't you want to be pre-med? This would make things so much easier," Wally says almost excitedly.

"Okay, alright, enough convincing," Artemis says waving a hand in front of her boyfriends distracted face. "We'll quit. But not for good."

"Not for good," Wally echoes, leaning in to kiss her, but before he can reach her lips Artemis' phone rings. She places a finger suavely against Wally's pursed lips and raises her phone to her ear.

"Hell-" Artemis says before her expression darkens, "you did _what_? Why-? Oh."

Before Wally can say anything Artemis has snapped her phone closed and a grin is sliding across her face.

"What?" Wally says as she leans in closer, "_What_?"

She kisses him, her hands sliding along his shoulders and pressing into his neck and he kisses her back, being careful not to press his fingers into her hips where bandages are still wrapped around her hip bones.

Wally pulls away after a moment, whispering hazily as they touch foreheads, "What was that for babe?"

"I forgot to buy a present. Happy Valentine's Day Wally," Artemis says smiling knowingly.

"Dammit," Wally says, his eyes widening fully upon realizing that he's forgotten for the third year in a row. He tries to pull away but Artemis pulls his back down until their lips meet. When they part he groans, "How did you remember?"

"About that," Artemis says airily, "It seems we have to cancel the wedding. Our mutual acquaintances seem to have remembered this infernal holiday and eloped."

"Eloped?" Wally squeaks.

"Eloped," Artemis repeats.

Wally frowns quite dramatically, "but Ollie was paying for an all you can eat buffet."

Artemis rolls her eyes and pushes Wally backwards, he tumbles on to the sand and watches as she stands up and stares down at him in mild amusement.

"Come on Kid Stomach, let's go in," she says reaching a hand downward.

Wally subtly glances back at the ocean one last time and then takes Artemis' hand. He makes a show of letting her haul him to his feet before allowing her to lead him inside.

"I'm following you babe," he whispers, but he doesn't think she hears him.

* * *

_Please Review :3_


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: This is just my theory about why her hair is short, why they live in Palo Alto, probably why they hate heroing so much. It will all be proven wrong in the episode today, I'm sure. There will be a chap 5 if anyone is interested. It won't be long, just a drabble but tell me if you want it. Oh and the name 'Nelson' comes from Brella (Satellites On Parade). I'm not cool enough to come up with a name like that._

_Disclaimer: Don't own YJ but I do own these feels and they are very nervous about this episode premiering this morning._

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Chapter 4:

Artemis knows Wally's got something planned for Valentine's Day. The boy is not subtle and even if he was Artemis _knows_ him. She knows he feels guilty for not once celebrating a proper Valentine's with her – especially since they've been dating for four years – she knows he's bound and determined to make tomorrow as cheesy and cliché as possible and she knows that he's hiding her present in his closet because it whimpers every time she sets foot in his dorm.

"You are dismissed," her teacher announces in sync with the ring tone of Artemis' phone. She digs around in her bag for a moment before she unearths it and slips it up to an ear. As her classmates and teacher filter from the room Artemis whispers, "Where are you Wall-man?"

"Hey babe," Wally gasps into his cell-phone and she can tell he's running because there's this godawful air tunnel noise coming from his end and she barely hear his voice. "I'm almost there. Meet me at your dorm okay? In five minutes."

"Y'know Wally," Artemis says, leaning back against her lab bench. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you actually _remembered_ this year."

"Remembered?" Wally says, feigning innocence, "Remembered what? Can't a guy take his girlfriend to his place for the weekend without provoking suspicion?"

Artemis chuckles, shoving her notebook into her bag as she balances her cell between her cheek and her shoulder, "Of course he can. If only he hadn't been planning this 'weekend' for the past two months, asking me every other day I had if I had taken the time off from work and finished my lab report. Real smooth, West."

"Alright, alright, you caught me," Wally says, "just meet me in five okay? It's hard running and talking at the same- dammit!"

"What is it?" Artemis asks, gripping the strap of her bag as the sound of glass shattering echoes over the line.

"I just ran into a Porsche and the windows- Augh! Arty I'll see you in five there's an angry middle-aged guy chasing me," Wally practically shouts into the phone before Artemis hears the call disconnect.

She shakes her head, chuckling at her boyfriend's inherent stupidity, before walking toward the door. She takes perhaps one step into the hallway before her knees buckle, and everything fades.

* * *

Wally comes to a halt in front of Artemis' dormitory in his civilian clothes. His shirt is sparkling, covered in infinitesimal pieces of shattered glass, and when he shakes his head dozens of sharp projectiles are flung from his hair.

"Babe you are not going to _believe_-" Wally begins to croak before looking up to find that he is alone.

Normally Artemis is freakishly early, an aspect of her personality that contrasts with Wally's innate lateness so sharply that he often wonders how they will ever live with each other in the future. Not that they've discussed living together anytime soon, because that would be particularly difficult, seeing as Artemis attends college in Gotham and Wally attends Central University, nearly half a country away from her. Zeta tubes aside, that would be a long commute for the one of them that chooses to reside with the other. But that decision can wait. The point is that Artemis is always on time, if not twenty minutes early. A habit that had been beaten into her from her father's ruthless training.

So the fact that she is not where she said she would be sends a thrum of nervousness racing through Wally's veins. He knows it is irrational. She could just be caught up talking to her teacher or a friend but Wally is so used to Artemis by now, so in tune with her, that he is almost positive something is wrong.

He digs his cell out of his pocket and calls her, once, twice, three times, until he is pulling at his hair and digging his nails into his phone so fiercely that it threatens to snap in half.

On the third failed attempt, when Artemis' husky voice echoes monotonously: _"You've reached Artemis, you know what to do…"_ Wally shoves his phone into his pocket and dashes around Gotham University campus so quickly that all the students can make out is a red blur.

Nightwing is reaching for his cell-phone, just about to call Wally and ask him to head over to the cave, when suddenly the computer is announcing: Kid Flash – B03 and Wally is standing before him, shaking so badly that he's practically vibrating through the floor.

"Wall-"

"She's gone, Artemis is- gone. I can't find her anywhere. I tried her school, her dorm, her mom's place- hell I even checked with Cheshire! She's just…gone," Wally says helplessly, "I talked to her an hour ago and she was fine. She was-" Wally's breath hitches in his throat and he looks up at Nightwing through a fringe of messy red hair, "I need your help."

Nightwing locks gazes with Wally. The other boy's eyes are red, tinged with tears from running without his goggles, and swollen. His entire body is shaking with anxiety, causing an incandescent yellow glow to hang around the edges of his frame. Nightwing places a hand on his shoulder and he goes still, his feet hitting the floor with a sodden thump and Nightwing realizes that he had never actually stopped running until that moment.

"This was sent to Bruce a few minutes ago," Nightwing says, activating the vid feed without turning around. Wally's eyes stare over Nightwing's shoulder and he knows what his friend is witnessing even if he doesn't have the courage to re-watch it himself.

He's watching Artemis as she sits, bound to a chair. He's watching her eyes flicker open and glance up to see a man standing over her. He's watching Sportsmaster, her supposed father, grab her by her ponytail and lift her, chair and all, into the air. He's watching the man shake her, demand why she betrayed their family, why she betrayed who she _is_. And he's watching him swing his javelin toward her head, cut off her entire ponytail and, while her chair clatters to the floor and topples sideways, swing her cut locks over his head like a trophy.

Wally watches Sportsmaster lean toward the camera and whisper: "You have an hour. Or I'll trim her neck next."

It's a long moment after the video ends before Wally says anything at all. The first word he says is, "Where-" and he doesn't even have to finish before Nightwing is typing the coordinates into the computer gesturing to the warehouse Sportsmaster is holding her captive.

"I'll get the team," Nightwing says as Wally takes the proffered goggles from his friend's hands.

"No," Wally says tightly, "you and me are going."

"Wally but-"

"Dick," Wally says, and he hasn't used Nightwing's real name outside the comfort of one of their homes in so long that Nightwing takes an instinctual glance around the room, almost to make sure no one is listening - not that he's as paranoid about his identity as Batman but the gesture is habit at this point - and when he is done he looks back over at Wally. Wally who is still wearing crumpled civilian clothes. Wally, who is pushing his hair back from his face with one hand and pulling his goggles over his head with the other, "This is personal," he says, "This is something we have to do quickly. If we get the others involved there might not be enough time."

Dick pauses for only a moment before nodding, "right let's go."

* * *

Artemis thinks they gave her chloroform, or something close to it, because she's barely lucid as her father cut her hair from her head. _Funny_, she thinks, _he was always the one who wanted my hair long_. And now it's lying at her feet, tickling her bare legs like a fur carpet.

Her father kicks her once, meekly, and then rights her chair. She can barely make out his face, it's so blurry and distorted, most likely from whatever drug he fed her too much of.

"Your idiot boyfriend will be here soon," he growls, right in her ear, before digging his knuckles into her ribs. She gasps because, as much as she hates to admit it, she's lost muscle mass since she gave up the superhero gig, and once thick layers of muscular abdominals are now thin and weak and vulnerable and his fist cuts through her middle like a knife. "Give him my blessing. He's deserves a person as pathetic as you've become."

"W-why," Artemis stutters, and a bit of blood dribbles from her lips as she speaks but she merely licks it away with the tip of her tongue and asks again, "why?"

"Because you're no daughter of mine, consider yourself disinherited," Sportsmaster says, stomping toward the doorway. He pauses before he leaves and says jeeringly, "I guess I can tell you that this was an act. A way of showing my…superiors, that I have cut all ties with you. Literally. They may take this opportunity to kill you themselves, mind your training."

Artemis scoffs as he slams the door shut behind himself. Everything always goes back to her training. He can never just say: "Hey, be careful." She laughs at his audacity, the action sending even more red spittle trickling from her lips.

She blinks once, twice and the third time she swears she hears Wally's voice echoing from a distance, his shouts distorted by the buzzing that is filling her ears and the thick noxious sleep that is gripping her mind. Just before her eyes slip shut she imagines the door slams open and Wally's rushing to her side and his arms are encasing her, lifting her, taking her home.

* * *

When she finally awakes it is to a muffled beeping and the smell of lilies and the feel of clean sheets under her fingertips. She opens her eyes and she's alone. She's in the med bay, or at least she assumes she is, because she hasn't been in the cave's med bay in years, but it looks the same, same white walls and clean cots and machines dotting the walls.

She looks around the room groggily and realizes that it's empty so she carefully turns off her heart monitor and slips the IV from her vein. She grabs a bandage and some sterile wipes and wraps up the puncture as she'd been taught, years ago, by her father, before she tosses her feet over the edge of her bed and goes to stand.

Instantly Wally is by her side.

"And where do you think you're going?" he says sternly, pushing her back down, "Jeesh Artemis! You even undid the IV. Why must you be impossible?"

Artemis ignores him and lifts a hand to fix her hair, out of habit, whenever she feels uncomfortable she's always tightening the elastic and the feel of her hair being pulled all the way to the nape of her neck is calming somehow, but her fingers meet air as she gropes for her ponytail. She pulls the short strands away from her eyes and she remembers the swing of a javelin and her hair falling to her feet.

"Hey," Wally says, pulling her hand away from her hair and encasing it in both of his, "it's gonna be okay."

"How?" Artemis challenges, and she doesn't mean the hair, or the bruises dotting her ribs but the mere fact that her father's 'superiors' may well be after her. How is that fine? How is she supposed to have a normal life and graduate pre-med and become a doctor someday if she has an entire league of assassins hunting her down. "Just, how Wally?"

"Batman," Wally says almost giddily, "he submitted our applications to Stanford. We're transferring in the fall, together. It's gonna be okay Artemis."

Artemis has never been very emotional. When her mother was paralyzed she'd gone to her room and sat quietly for a few hours, barely speaking. When her sister had left she'd simply slumped to the floor and sat immovable until her father returned home. But at the very thought of being safe with Wally, safe at Stanford, together, running toward a future that she had been scared would never come to fruition she feels the barest of tears rim her eyes and she throws her arms around Wally's neck, burying her face in his t-shirt to hide the fact that she might cry for the first time in years.

Wally wraps his arms around her waist and whispers things into her ear that she can't be sure she hears correctly.

She smiles though, in remembrance, as he whispers, "I love you."

"Happy Valentine's day, Wally," she says softly and she smiles again as he groans in defeat and lowers his head into his hands.

"This year, it is definitely your fault that I forgot," he insists.

"Mmhmm," she says, pressing her lips to his, tracing her fingers around the frame of his face as he pulls away, "What?"

"I got you something, so it's not like I forgot completely," he smiles, brilliantly, and in a blur he's gone. She stares at the spot where he once sat and waits impatiently her mouth tingling with the ghost of his lips.

"Here," Wally says, and she's barely noticed that he is back before he is shoving a squirming ball of fur toward her.

"Whoa," she says, hefting the thing into her lap. It's a dog, a small gray dog with big black eyes and he's looking up at her expectantly, searching her face for a moment before leaping forward and swiping his tongue across her cheek. Artemis tries to appear surprised as she whispers, "What's his name?"

"I've been thinking about that," Wally says, sitting beside her on the cot and rubbing behind one of the puppy's ears, "how about…Spitfire?"

Artemis grimaces, Wally appears far too excited about that christening than he should. "Spitfire? No. What is he, a My Little Pony?" Artemis scoffs.

"Right," Wally says, blushing almost dejectedly before saying, "How about Alice? You love that book, Alice in Wonderland. Right?"

"He's a boy, Wally," Artemis drawls, running her right hand up and down the puppies back.

"Oh yeah," Wally says, groaning and scrubbing his hands over his face as if to prompt less idiotic thoughts. Finally, as if a lightbulb has popped above his head Wally lights up, "Alright then, Nelson. Final offer."

Artemis looks from Wally to the dog, from her boyfriend's excited green eyes to the dog's expectant black ones. They both seem to demand an answer from her and honestly she does see a bit of Kent Nelson in those deep ochre orbs. She'd only met the man for a few moments, years ago, but the dog has Kent's silent wisdom, his calm presence and his wrinkles. They even both have gray hair, it seems too fitting.

"Nelson," Artemis smiles down at the puppy in her lap, "…I like it," she looks back up at Wally, a smile alighting her face as he leans toward her, just before their lips meet she whispers, "thanks babe."

Nelson barely squirms in her arms, only adjusting his position in order to press his tiny head against her stomach as Wally presses heated kisses against her mouth and says, "Happy Valentine's day, Artemis."

* * *

_Please Review :3_


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